The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

The SailGP season got underway last week, but the Black Foils didn't start out as well as they'd hoped.
A collision with the Swiss boat in the opening race has left them with significant boat damage and in negative points ahead of the Auckland event in under three weeks.
Black Foils strategist Liv Mackay says the boat is getting repaired ahead of the event, and the team should be back on the water in time.
"It was definitely a pretty shocking situation and definitely something that you don't take lightly - as in, the risk and everything out there. But the season is long, we've definitely been in these similar situations before, so it's not a notch off the goal."
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Pati Umaga was once given ultimatum by his father to become a either a church minister or a lawyer - and instead launched a career in music that changed his life.
He found success as the bass player of the Holiday Makers, but he was left tetraplegic after a fall.
He suffered years of hardship but eventually re-found his purpose as an advocate for the disabled community through his music - and he's turned his story into a stage show called A Music Portrait of a Disabled Samoan.
Oscar Kightley has assisted in writing the show, and Nathaniel Lees has directed it - and the pair are looking forward to sharing this story with Kiwi viewers.
"It's really great, I'm working on my friend's show about his life story and it's really interesting and it's so cool to be able to put it on a stage."
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Workhorse by Caroline Palmer. This is set in a Vogue magazine-like environment, where Clodagh (Clo) Harmon is trying to make her way up the ladder, but struggles because she doesn’t have the pedigree, monied background and social confidence of her colleagues - she’s a workhorse, not a showhorse. It’s been compared in a lot of places to a combination of The Devil Wears Prada and The Talented Mister Ripley - as Clo makes more and more bad decisions and is prepared to do almost anything to get ahead.
Not My Type by E.Jean Carroll. This is the woman who sued Donald Trump for sexual assault in the changing room of a New York department store, and then went on to sue him for defamation. It’s the story of the trials, from her point of view - the clothes she wore to make certain statements, her observations of the defendant and his lawyers, the way the court cases evolved –-all told in an acerbic, witty, hilarious, insightful and incredibly entertaining way. She’s 82 now and hasn’t received a cent of the two settlements which she was awarded but she’s retained her dignity, her sense of humour and an ability to write a brilliant account of what and how it happened. I was riveted.
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On the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 25 January 2026, search crews are into their fourth day of the recovery operation at Mount Maunganui, head of the police search team Senior Constable Barry Shepherd shares insights into the complex search.
Kiwi Samoan screen legends Nathaniel Lees and Oscar Kightley are bringing the inspiring story of Pati Umaga to life on stage, they join Francesca to talk about Pati and why the project is so special to them.
Black Foils strategist Liv Mackay on what it was like on the Sail GP boat when it collided with the Swiss team in Perth last week, and will their boat be ready for the Auckland event in three weeks.
Get the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast every Sunday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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There's a new trend emerging in the world of travel, and experts say it could help people recharge like never before.
'Skillcations' are designed to help people learn new skills while on vacation, allowing them to return to work feeling motivated without sacrificing relaxation time.
BloggerAtLarge.com writer Megan Singleton explained the trend further, and opened up about her experiences with learning to surf at Bondi Beach and learning to tango in Buenos Aires.
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